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thomo
Barlick Born Old Salt
2021 Posts
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 Posted -
11/02/2006
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16:01
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SIX GENERATIONS. I WAS THE FIFTH ,& THE OLDEST MAN TO JOIN THE NAVY SINCE WW2. I ENTERED THE RN. ON MARCH 13th 1972 JUST UNDER THE AGE LIMIT OF 32. BASIC TRAINING WAS AT HMS RALEIGH (TORPOINT) AND I WAS MADE CLASS LEADER IN THE FIRST WEEK. 22 MEN FROM ALL OVER THE UK MADE UP COLLINGWOOD CLASS 11, JOHN GREENBANK FROM EARBY WAS IN MY CLASS. WE ALL WORKED HARD AND WON THE "CAKE"FOR THE BEST TURNOUT EACH OF THE SIX WEEKS WE WERE THERE. I WAS AWARDED THE CAPTAINS PRIZE FOR THE HIGHEST OVERALL MARKS AND AT "PASSING OUT" PARADE, I WAS PRESENTED WITH MY GOLD INSIGNIA BY PRINCESS ANNE. PART TWO OF TRAINING TOOK PLACE AT HMS SULTAN(GOSPORT) THE NAVY MARINE ENGINEERING SCHOOL. JOHN GREENBANK PROVED HIMSELF TO BE A GOOD ATHLETE AND MY LADS TOOK THE LIONS SHARE OF FIRSTS ON SPORTS DAY. AT THE END OF PART TWO TRAINING THREE OF US STAYED AT SULTAN TO DO THE SSMEM COURSE HAVING GAINED THE MARKS REQUIRED FOR ACCELERATED ADVANCEMENT, THE OTHERS WERE DRAFTED TO SHIPS. A FURTHER TWO MONTHS WERE SPENT ON TRAINING AND I THEN JOINED HMS GRENVILLE(FRIGATE) FOR SEA TRAINING. THUS IT BEGAN. MORE TO FOLLOW.
thomo
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thomo
Barlick Born Old Salt
2021 Posts
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Posted - 18/03/2011 : 09:20
Welcome aboard Borojock, you must tell us more about your time in the mob. Now then, if you have both stopped laughing, as I did last night when I saw this, I would like to point out that I joined as a civilian and not a refugee from another service. yes whilst your 34 year old was doing his bits with aircraft, I was making bits for them.
Gus, enjoy, my home was not far from Eastney Barracks, on the small estate behind HMS St George, on the road to Hayling Ferry.
thomo  |
thomo
Barlick Born Old Salt
2021 Posts
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Posted - 18/03/2011 : 16:14
I have just looked back through this topic and what wonderful stuff there is, and now I feel just a little sad. I see that most of you would have been at Raleigh when it was still wooden huts, did any of you ever go back there?. I spoke of Princess Anne, she was not there just for my passing out parade, but also to lay the foundation stones for a new camp, have any of you ever seen this? I went there for my sons passing out parade in 1984 and still feel a bit shocked by what I saw. The character of the place had gone completely, there was no "Atmosphere" nothing about it felt right, and then I saw my sons div, PO, my lad had joined as a trainee WEM and this PO was a no badge stoker, I had met this one before on mechs course, and had at the time two badges, I think he saw the look in my eyes before he took off! Nothing about the place was familiar, gone were the huts and the old cinemas, Ajax and Achilles, what had been a fetid swamp by the Wrens Quarters over which we did our bit on ropes during the assault course was now an ornamental pond, the only thing recognisable was the parade ground and east and west drill sheds, worst of all I think was the state of the place, untidy is being kind!
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frankwilk
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Posted - 18/03/2011 : 16:24
It was coming near to the end when you moved from Benbow to Valiant Block. Then you checked the board everyday to see if your draft chit had arrived.
Frank Wilkinson Once Navy Always Navy |
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MY FAMILY AT SEA
